Cigarette crusher and storage compartment



Aug. 15, 1961 J. M. BOSKO ET AL 2,996,068

CIGARETTE CRUSHER AND STORAGE COMPARTMENT Filed Oct. 7, 1959 INVENTORS.

Jon/v M Bosxo JOHN L. B osko United States Patent Ofiice 2,996,068 Patented Aug. 15, 19 1 2,996,068 CIGARETTE CRUSHER AND STORAGE COMPARTMENT John M. Bosko and John L. Bosko, both of RI). 4, Box 7 and Wall St., Ravenna, Ohio Filed Oct. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 844,895 1 Claim. (Cl. 131-237) This invention relates to smoking apparatus and more particularly to an accessory therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety cigarette extinguisher and ash receiver which can be conveniently used for extinguishing cigarettes and storing the ashes and debris thereof and which can also be used with cigars.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a safety cigarette extinguisher and ash receiver of the above type which can be conveniently carried in a purse or pocket, so as to be readily accessible for use at all times, and which will prevent the possibility of fire, loose ashes, and the like at all times; the receiver being the size of a package of cigarettes.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a safety cigarette extinguisher and ash receiver made in accordance with the present invention in use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of certain parts of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a presser plate forming a part of the present invention, formed of and from thin spring steel.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a safety cigarette extinguisher and ash receiver made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a substantially hollow prismatic main housing 12 having angularly related side and bottom walls defining an interior storage compartment 14.

A presser plate 16 of substantially the same width as the interior compartment 14 of the housing 12, has a terminal flange 18 at one lower end which is secured to the forward wall of the housing 12. Said pressure plate is formed with a finger engaging portion projecting upwardly from the top edge thereof and below said cover when the cover is in closed position; the total height of said finger portion and the height of said pressure plate along its side edges being less than the vertical dimension of the front wall of the receptacle. The opposite free end of the presser plate 16 is therefore manually movable toward and away from the front Wall of the housing 12 to squeeze and extinguish ignited cigarettes 26 therebetween, plate 16 being thinner than the walls of housing 12.

A closure member 22 having a hinged connection 24 with the rear wall of the housing 12 is selectively movable between a normally closed and an open position. The upper edge of each wall of the housing 12 is provided with an outwardly protruding bead 20 which is tightly engageable within the side walls of the closure 22, to provide an air tight and dust proof seal therebetween.

In actual use, a cigarette 26 may be extinguished simply by placing the ignited end thereof between the presser plate 16 and the front wall of the housing 12, and by pressing forwardly upon the presser plate 16 to snuff out the cigarette, following which the cigarette may be deposited within the storage compartment 14 of the housing 12. After each use, the closure 22 is moved to the closed position, in which position any ashes and foreign matter contained within the compartment 14 is prevented from leaking outwardly between the bead 20 and the sides of the closure 22. The head 20 also provides an air tight fit so as to assure the extinguishing of any ashes or ignited cigarettes accidentally allowed to remain within the compartment 14, thus adding to the safety characteristics of the assembly. This unit may be conveniently carried in a purse or pocket, so as to be readily available for use at all times, both during indoor and outdoor activities, the air tight package smothers any fire in approximately 14 seconds.

It will now be recognized that this type of safety device can be readily incorporated in various other articles, such as decorative tableware, compact items, cigarette boxes, and the like. This idea may also be incorporated in statues, gift boxes, and vases, so as to make the general safety features of the present invention available for use in all types of circumstances.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A portable air tight device of rectangular configuration for extinguishing and retaining burned cigarettes comprising a one piece rectangular receptacle having rectangular shaped upstanding nonperforated integral walls, a one piece rigid inverted U-shaped cover member hingedly attached to the receptacle and foldable thereover into closing and air tight sealing relationship, said receptacle including a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls, a bottom wall and a substantially rectangular shaped spring metal pressure plate, said cover member including a nonperforated top panel of rectangular shape having identical front and rear integral walls and identical side integral walls depending therefrom, a hinge assembly pivotally connecting the depending edge portion of said rear wall of said closure member with said rear wall of said receptacle adjacent the upper edge thereof, the upper edge portion of each of said receptacle walls being provided with an outwardly protruding bead adjacent thereto, the internal dimensions between the opposite depending side walls of said cover being substantially equal to the external dimension between the opposite exterior side walls of said beads on said receptacle walls, whereby the exterior side walls of said beads are tightly engageable with the inner surface of said side walls of said cover when in closed position providing an air tight and dust proof seal therebetween, said spring metal pressure plate being substantially rectangular in configuration and including a pair of side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge and being substantially as wide as the width of said receptacle, the top edge of said pressure plate being formed with a semi-circular upstanding finger portion, the combined height of said finger portion and the rectangular portion of said pressure plate being less than the height of said front wall of said receptacle, the lower end portion of said pressure plate being secured to the lower end portion of said front wall of said receptacle adjacent the bottom wall thereof, the upper end portion of said pressure plate being normally supported in an angularly related position with respect to said front wall of said receptacle and yieldably movable towards said front wall in response to manual pressure applied to said finger portion upon the rear side thereof, and said pressure plate dividing the device into an extinguishing compartment of triangular cross-section in a vertical longitudinal plane and a storage compartment of quadrilateral vertical longi- 3 tudinal cross-section, both compartments being adapted 2,575,557 to be closed by said closure member. 2,777,448

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 612,831

1,753,500 Burleigh Apr. 8, 1930 4 Michel Nov. 20, 1951 Albert Jan. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany May 6, 1935 

